TSCM

Verbal or Written Communications are Not Always Private

Technical Surveillance Countermeasures, sometimes called TSCM Sweeps, debugging, wiretap detection or just plain old “sweeps”. With the advent of cellphones, VOIP phones, computer Skype, FaceTime, go-to-meeting and the many other ways of communication, illegal eavesdropping has become easily available to those who are curious. Google the internet for mobile phone bugging and you will find many “offshore” providers that sell highly sophisticated cell phone spy software for usually less than a hundred bucks. Carefully read the advertising material posted on these sites and you will find that they guarantee that the spy on cell software can’t be found. They provide a detailed tutorial explaining how to remotely install phone spying software on a target phone. Electronic eavesdropping is illegal in the United States and [...]

Are you Bugged?

At International Investigators we get at many inquiring calls inquiring about a TSCM (Technical Surveillance Counter Measures) sweep for listening devices. TSCM sweeps have many informal names such as a bug sweep, electronic bug detection or counter surveillance services but whatever you chose to call the service it has one object in mind and that is to find any device with the capability to record audio and/or video of a target without their knowledge. On these sweeps, we use some of the most sophisticated hardware available. We have a hidden camera detector, listening device detection methods, RF video surveillance detection, as well as many other electronic bug sweep devices.

During a TSCM sweep we analyze local RF and attempt to isolate RF frequencies emitting from [...]

Not Only Do I Hear What You Are Saying, So Is Someone Else

We had a gentleman who was on the verge of selling his multi-million dollar company. He had a qualified buyer who he had been working with for several months and he was excited about the prospect of walking away from the hustle and bustle of owning a company to the sandy shores of some tropical island. In order to accomplish this, he would have to open his company finances to the buyer’s agent to verify his company was in fact viable. The buyer now showed some hesitation and didn’t appear to be as excited as in previous meetings. He had this feeling that something wasn’t right and he came to International Investigators to hash over his suspicions to determine if that nagging warning was [...]

Marriage Infidelity Claim Leads to Unexpected GPS Tracking

Some of the cases we get at International Investigators can be pretty interesting – especially when it comes to suspected marital infidelity cases. Take for example, the case of the jealous, controlling husband who believed his wife was having an affair.

Bob* and Meredith* had only been married for a year. While they were dating, Bob had been very sweet and attentive toward Meredith. But after their marriage, Bob was becoming more overbearing. He not only controlled all of their finances with an iron fist, but whenever Meredith came home late from work, he would question where she had been and who she had been with.

When Meredith told her parents that Bob had accused her of having an extramarital affair with liaisons at a local [...]

Covert Surveillance with Four-legged Furry Spies

Would you consider a cat or dog roaming around your business or home as a possible security threat? What about if the animal was your own pet? At International Investigators, we doubt you’d even consider it. But you may start to wonder about it after reading this blog post.

According to an article in The Hacker News, a security researcher with a large security consultancy firm thought it would be fun to conduct an experiment in “weaponizing” his grandmother’s pet cat to map vulnerable WiFi networks in his neighborhood. He built a custom collar for Coco made from a Wi-Fi card, GPS module, Spark Core chip, battery and leopard-print fabric. He then set Coco loose. During the cat’s three-hour jaunt through the neighborhood, the security [...]

Not All Office Spying is About Corporate Espionage

Many times, our clients are flabbergasted after we conduct a very confidential TSCM sweep of their offices. When TSCM services are combined with digital forensics, the findings catch them by surprise.

It’s not uncommon for IT departments to be asked to monitor employee’s habits in surfing the Internet. Today with so much of the business world transacting business through the Internet, monitoring has been reduced to applying restrictions and developing Internet use policies.

What Sort of Investigation?

One C-level executive had a problem and contacted International Investigators directly. He was a little uncertain about what he wanted.

There was a female admin who was giving him some weird vibes. So much so that he went to personnel to find out where she had worked previously because he was [...]

TSCM Services Still a Productive Measure for Investigation

In today’s highly advanced technical age, very often the common person can conduct some research, click on some links, learn a lot in a limited amount of time and trace down all kinds of information.

But of course, even in this age of finding a lot about a lot in a limited amount of time, International Investigators still has professional access to data bases that are unavailable to the average person.

Then, we also make it our business to remain on the cutting edge of technology, especially regarding digital forensics, forensic computer analysis and forensic data recovery. Even with technology expanding in those directions, some people forget about the need for Technical Surveillance Countermeasures, or TSCM. Some believe that the collection of cell phones, tablets and [...]

Surveillance Underscores the Intentions of Long Lost Uncle

Here at International Investigators we are witness to the best in people as well as the dark underside of human interactions. We have front row seats to stories and actions that some people might not ever see or be able to understand. While they are human stories filled with a wide array of emotions, we are involved in gathering facts and finding out the truth.

Often our work involves attorneys who are working with an estate. We are tasked with finding a missing heir or unknown heirs for the estate. However, sometimes estate work requires a different kind of investigation. Take this story for instance:

Soon after their mother was admitted into hospice, Janet and Kim’s long-lost uncle Scott suddenly began to visit the dying sister [...]

Stalker Outed with Digital Forensics and Surveillance

After dealing with the very bizarre behavior of a scorned lover in another state, our female client called International Investigators. Although she had relocated, she was scared because she knew he had found her.

In her previous home, the man had stalked her; repeatedly calling her house and following her around. She had tried several times to seek assistance from law enforcement officers but was told that they could do nothing to help her. Not until a crime was committed. And by then, of course, it would be too late to protect herself.

In an attempt to protect herself, the woman moved out of state. She changed her cell phone number. Only family members and a handful of close friends knew her whereabouts. But now weird [...]

Burglary and Trickery Foiled by TSCM

After years of providing investigative services, here at International Investigators, there are some things we understand. When someone’s home is burgled, the residents often lose the feeling of being safe and secure. But when someone’s homes is invaded twice in a very short time frame, that fear is mixed with confusion and uncertainty. Sandy* had moved out of her home after the second incident. She was afraid, and not quite sure why the burglary had been repeated.

In each instance, some possessions had been taken: a computer, some collectibles, and then some things like BlueRay movies, CDs and even a few books. It didn’t make sense to her and it sounded unusual to us, too.